Posted on 10 March 2015 by tdash10.
All good things must come to an end. The Randallstown HS boys’ basketball team may have lost yesterday against Patterson HS but they played their hearts out the whole game. The Rams hung with the Clippers in what was a very physical game but unfortunately, the Rams came up short and were defeated by the score of 59-50.
In the beginning the game was about offense, both teams made tough shots and fought hard for rebounds. The Rams found themselves down after the 1st quarter (10-7) but they kept fighting and junior shooting guard Sterling Hughes made two key three point shots that kept the Clippers from pulling away early. The Clippers, however, rebounded well in the 2nd quarter and took advantage of their frequent opportunities at the free throw line to lead 21-13 at halftime.
The Rams came out swinging at the start of the 3rd quarter. Anthony Granger scored the first 5 points of the quarter and Trevor Atelefack continued to do what he’s done since day one, he fought in the paint and he pulled down important rebounds that kept the Rams in the game. The Clippers fans assumed that their team would pull away in the 3rd but Coach English and his team went on a run to end the 3rd quarter and set up a great 4th quarter.
The score was tied at 29 at the end of the third and the 4th quarter looked like it was going to be a great one. Dwayne Banks took a beating the whole game; he was met by multiple Patterson defenders every time he drove to the basket and ended up on the ground every time. Dwayne however wouldn’t be denied as he stayed tough and did whatever it took for the Rams to stay in the game and get in position to win. Defensively the Rams played hard, Trevor, Anthony and Newtin Ndingwan played tough defense and kept playing even though their number of fouls kept increasing. Patterson took a lot…a lot of free throws in the 4th and were able to pull away at the free throw line for a 9 point win.
The Rams had a great season. They advanced to the Maryland Class 2A North Regional final for the 3rd year in a row and they gave their all in every game this season. This team was full of seniors so yesterday was their last game. I want to congratulate the players, coaches and managers for a great season and I want to wish all seniors good luck in whatever they choose to do in the future. I also want to congratulate Coach John Bunch and the JV Rams boys’ basketball team as they were crowned the 2014 County Champions. Multiple players from that team will move on to varsity to join Devin Bryant and Ja’quan Wise next year. The Rams went down yesterday but the future looks really bright for Coach English and his Randallstown Rams.
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Randallstown Rams vs Patterson Clippers
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The Rams have one last meeting before the start of the game.
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The Rams have one last meeting before the start of the game.
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Posted in Game Preview/Recap
Posted on 08 March 2015 by tdash10.
Individuals win awards, but teams win championships. Yesterday against Hereford the Rams’ great display of team basketball propelled them to their second playoff win. After hosting a home playoff game last week, the Rams hit the road for their second round playoff game against the Hereford Bulls.
Hereford’s crowd yesterday was one of the loudest most passionate crowds I’ve ever been in but Coach English and his Rams didn’t let that distract them. That same crowd got really quiet after seniors Dwayne Banks and Anthony Granger connected on 2 alley-oops in the 1st quarter that gave the Rams instant momentum. The Rams also got contributions from Senior Trevor Atelefack and Junior Sterling Hughes that helped the Rams gain a 3 point lead at the half.
In the 3rd quarter the Rams dominated with contributions from their starting 5 and multiple players that came off the bench with the same intensity. Senior Dequan Harrison came off the bench and provided the Rams with a scoring boost in what was a very close game, he also made great passes and lead the team well. Kevin Makle and Eyabi Anoma are sophomores but they surely didn’t play like it; they worked hard in the paint and like Dequan, they played very valuable minutes off the bench yesterday. The 3rd quarter was the game changing run for the Rams, as a team they took control and held Hereford to less than 10 points in the 3rd quarter.
The 4th quarter began and as time wore down the Hereford crowd got louder. The Bulls just wouldn’t go away; they put pressure on the Rams offense and made multiple jump shots that kept them in the game. The number of free throws increased for the Rams but they took advantage and made them when they counted the most. Dwayne Banks was fouled the most, yet he kept his cool and made multiple free throws to give the Rams the lead late in the game. The Rams continued to defend and in the end they were too much for Hereford. Randallstown won this game 54-49 and they will “spring forward” to the regional final tomorrow against Patterson.
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Posted in Game Preview/Recap
Posted on 05 March 2015 by tdash10.
In the Playoffs it’s simple: win or go home. Based on the way the Rams played last night they’re not trying to go home anytime soon. The Rams were ready to get the playoffs started and last night they sent a message with their big win against the Overlea Falcons.
This game was filled with intensity and passion from start to finish, both teams were determined to survive and advance to the next round. The two teams went back and forth for the first couple of minutes but the Rams played really great defense. In the 2nd quarter seniors Dwayne Banks, Antony Granger and Newtin Ndingwan lead the Rams on a dominant run that propelled the Rams to a 15 point lead at the half.
In the 2nd half, the Falcons continued to shoot themselves in the foot. They were obviously annoyed and frustrated by the Rams tough defense and several of Overlea’s key players found themselves in foul trouble from the start. The Rams took advantage of those players being out of the game and they dominated the 2nd half.
Rams senior Newtin Ndingwan had a great game off the bench last night. He was the team’s Swiss army knife as he did a little bit of everything to help the Rams win. He passed, scored and as usual he played great defense the whole game. Ndingwan, along with teammates Trevor Atelefack, Sterling Hughes and Antony Granger were able to let their defense lead to easy offense and a statement 20 point victory last night against Overlea.
** The Rams 2nd round game will be away versus the Hereford Bulls. Date and time has not been announced due to the weather.
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Posted in Game Preview/Recap
Posted on 26 February 2015 by tdash10.
A good team knows how to bounce back, a good team learns from mistakes and makes the right adjustments so that the same mistakes don’t happen in the next game. The Rams had to make adjustments fast as they played the Overlea Falcons just 24 hours after the lost to Poly.
The Rams were determined to win this game because as the playoffs approach, they know that every win counts. The first quarter was back and forth as the two teams were feeling each other out. After a quick pep talk from Coach English the Rams came out firing. Senior Trevor Atlefack provided the Rams with multiple rebounds and tough points in the paint. Dwayne Banks also helped out defensively. Overlea guard Keith Terry couldn’t get past Banks and when pressured, Banks forced Terry to make bad passes that led to turnovers and easy buckets for the Rams.
The Rams then turned to their shooting in the second half and with multiple 3 pointers by Brandon Brice and Sterling Hughes the Rams looked like they were going to pull away. The Rams showed great teamwork and their passing this game was excellent. Antony Granger had another solid game and he stole the show with his powerful dunk after a beautiful pass from Dwayne Banks.
That alley-oop combined with some late game sharp-shooting and great defense propelled the Rams to a bounce back double digit victory against Overlea. The win proves once again that the Rams know how to bounce back and make adjustments. Hopefully this win is the start of a new winning-streak so that the Rams can finish the regular season stronger and more confident than ever heading into the playoffs.
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Posted in Game Preview/Recap
Posted on 26 February 2015 by tdash10.
As a writer I can only write about what is true. The truth is that Randallstown students were a little depressed after the close loss against Woodlawn. However, things changed after during the Lansdowne game, the seniors were honored by coaches Kevin English and Marc Stevens. After a blowout win against Lansdowne and after the cancelation of the Perry Hall game, the Rams players and their home crowd were anxious, back on their feet and ready to go against Poly.
Much like the Woodlawn game, this game was back and forth but this was a low scoring affair that was ruled by defense. Poly gave the Rams everything they could handle and the Rams kept battling back. Late in the 2nd quarter Poly went on a run that was led by their tough defense and size advantage. #23 Marcel Thompson led the way for the Parrots as they had a double digit lead at half-time.
The Rams came out of halftime like they were shot out of a cannon, Senior Trevor Atelefack led the Rams in the paint with numerous rebounds. Seniors Antony Granger and Dwayne Banks not only scored, the two talented players made excellent passes that helped to create open 3 point shots for the “Splash Bros” Brandon Brice and Sterling Hughes. Everything clicked for the Rams as they ended the 3rd quarter down….but with all the momentum.
In the 4th quarter the teams went back and forth, trading the lead multiple times in this low scoring affair. Poly relied heavily on Thompson to lead them to the win, Poly was able to make tough shots and get multiple stops on defense to walk out of Randallstown with a close 58-54 win.
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Posted in Game Preview/Recap
